I am sure you have been waiting all your life for the ultimate college experience and it is honestly everything you imagined, more or less.
The first time your parents drop you off at your dorm and drive away is like getting thrown into a deep ocean and you can’t swim. But trust me, everyone around you feels the same way. The first night on your own is going to seem completely weird and you’ll probably call your mom every hour like I did. So, this is the time you take to decorate your room and get to know your roommate and floormates. Everyone is trying to make friends so get to know people and be open to change.
I found myself hanging out with some of the craziest people during my freshman year, and they turned out to be the coolest people ever and I made the best memories with them. Most of those memories included parties! Yes, partying is what we all look forward to: wearing the short skirts and crop tops and meeting hot guys. However, make sure you stay safe and never travel alone. Most likely at 10 p.m. you’ll come out to the Brandt patio and find all these separate groups of people gathering their friends to head out to parties. You’ll come to realize that partying is not everything, but for now, it is. What I mean by that is, most likely you’re living in a dorm with tons of people surrounding you, so don’t be so eager to go out and party in the crazy Richmond streets. Take a couple of friends and visit a floor and soon you guys will be chatting and listening to that new Drake single.
It’s about that time you leave high school in the past. I found it comforting to hang out with people that I knew from my hometown but I truly regret doing that. I missed out on meeting new friends because I stayed close to what I knew. Any person that you instantly click with, exchange numbers and hang out because most likely they could be your new best friend on campus. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there; people will notice and it can make you college experience so much better.
Get involved! Definitely go to the SOVO fair at VCU and sign up for everything. This will really help you to settle into campus and find out your true interests.
Boys, boys, boys and more boys! Do not let them get you in trouble. Always be a lady and keep it classy. You are new on campus and all eyes are on the new incoming freshmen. Don’t give your number out to every guy that ask for it because in the end they are up to no good. If your single, have fun, explore and keep your options open because you are young and you’re only a college freshman once.
Go into college wanting to only make yourself happy. Study hard but always take time for yourself.
As a freshman, I lost a few friends because I found myself maturing and realizing what was important to me. I tried so many new things that I never thought I would do, but I did. Make your time here memorable. Smile. Be happy knowing that you’ve made it this far already and you have so much ahead of you. Learn from your mistakes and grow. VCU will welcome you with open arms so come into freshman year ready to take on the world.